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תֹּמֶר

𐤕𐤌𐤓

tômer

H8560 noun

SILEX Entry

Root תמר to be erect, to stand tall, to be upright

Definition

A palm tree, especially the date palm (Phoenix dactylifera), often referenced for its upright, slender trunk. In poetic or descriptive contexts, it can refer to the straight, columnar form resembling that of a palm trunk. The word may be used literally for the tree or metaphorically to evoke beauty, stature, or verticality.

Semantic Range

palm tree, date palm, palm trunk, columnar form, metaphor for uprightness or beauty

Root / Etymology

The word תֹּמֶר (tômer) derives from the root תמר, which in its verb form means 'to be erect or tall, to stand up straight.' While the root conveys uprightness or height, the noun תֹּמֶר specifically designates the palm tree or its trunk. Cognates appear in other Semitic languages (e.g., Akkadian 'tamru') with similar meanings.

Historical & Contextual Notes

תֹּמֶר most frequently denotes the date palm, a significant tree in the ancient southern Levant, valued for its fruit and form. The term is occasionally used as a poetic parallel for uprightness and aesthetic grace, as in Song of Songs 7:7-8, where stature is likened to a tômer. Unlike the more general תָּמָר (tamar), which can function as both a feminine noun for 'palm tree' and as a personal name, תֹּמֶר refers more narrowly to the trunk or the tree itself in a poetic or descriptive sense. The palm's upright form led to its use as a metaphor for tallness, beauty, or moral rectitude in biblical poetry and wisdom literature. The symbolism of the palm persisted into later periods, but biblical usage typically focuses on morphology and local flora. English translations usually render תֹּמֶר as 'palm,' but may obscure the distinction from תָּמָר.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from the same root as תָּמָר; a palm trunk; palm tree.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

תמר (t-m-r) — to be erect, stand tall, be upright

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H559 אָמַר palm-tree of
H8412 תַּדְמֹר Palm-City Tadmor
H8490 תִּימָרָה like upright columns of
H8558 תָּמָר the date palms
H8559 תָּמָר to Palm-tree

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H8560-02 תֹּ֜מֶר tomer HNcmsc palm tree palm trunk of 1
H8560-01 כְּ/תֹ֨מֶר ketomer HR/Ncmsc like a palm tree palm-trunk 1

Occurrences in Scripture

2 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H8560-02 Judges 4:5 תֹּ֜מֶר tomer HNcmsc palm tree palm trunk of
H8560-01 Jeremiah 10:5 כְּ/תֹ֨מֶר ketomer HR/Ncmsc like a palm tree palm-trunk
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